The Texas Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning entered the season with as much hype as anyone in the league. In fact, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper even had Manning as the number one quarterback in the 2026 draft class, even though Manning hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll enter the draft at the conclusion of the season.
“We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense. Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have,” Kiper said.
He wasn’t the only ESPN employee heaping praise on Manning, either. Paul Finebaum, one of ESPN’s top college football analysts, said that Manning “is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow.
Unfortunately, Manning and the Longhorns got off to a tough start, losing their season opener to the Ohio State Buckeyes in a game where Manning really struggled. Since the loss, the Longhorns have rattled off two wins, but Manning is still struggling to be the quarterback everyone expected heading into the season.
Finebaum even walked back some of the praise that he and his colleagues heaped onto Manning.
“The bottom line is Arch Manning is not playing like an elite quarterback,” Finebaum said, according to Awful Announcing. “He’s barely playing like a pedestrian quarterback. He had some good plays (against San Jose State), but that game doesn’t mean anything. Ultimately, I think we all jumped the gun. Is he in the Heisman race? No, Arch Manning is not in the Heisman race as of today.”
“I still think Arch Manning can have a big-time season,” Finebaum continued. “When he starts seeing the road games in the SEC … I think he has a chance. And what he doesn’t need is his coach babying him in the media. That’s the worst thing that can happen when you already have the name that a lot of people want to hate on, privilege that a lot of people want to scorn.”
Now, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is giving a troubling update on his quarterback.
“I would say no,” he answered when asked if the Arch Manning stepping on the field on Saturdays was the same guy the Longhorns see during the practice week.
“I would say we get a little different version in practice. Naturally, that’s kind of what I’m talking about: that ability to take Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and play with that same kind of confidence and intent on Saturday. That’s the part for us, is that we see and know what it looks like. My goal is that you all get to see that. That’s what we’re striving for. He had a great week. I’ve been proud of them for that.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Manning can reclaim his confidence on Saturdays.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.